VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square

[alfapete]

Did you take your phone out of your pocket with just one hand just to get that picture? Can see a few potential perils in that manoeuvre!

[JonBuoy]

I did the 'To the Chapel' 300k audax from Alfreton yesterday.  The outbound route ran along the top edge of my max square and with a few tweaks it was easy to fill in some gaps and put a two tile border on it.  I had decided that I would probably stick with the groups from the start instead of doing my own route but a puncture at 10k changed all that and I was pleased that I had also loaded the tiling version.

After the first control at Newark I reverted to the official route and was happy to collect whatever tiles it passed through as these were almost entirely new roads to me.

187 new tiles increased my max cluster by 35.

To increase the max square now needs a bit of work between Newark and Sleaford.

[Zed43]

Nice weekend of cycling, bringing the Pioulou for an overnighter at a campsite. 416 kilometers and 284 new tiles bringing the square to 114x114.

It'll have to do for a while, I've been lured by The Dark Side and need to practice for PBP 

[Deano]

Well done, Zed.

Back amongst the mere mortals, I've hacked my cluster up to Fife, down to Wanker Newark, and over to Pickering a wee bit, which gives me chance to expand the square on three sides (for now, at least). Should really put a bit of effort into the southern edge of the square, the western edge will be proper hard work.

[paddyirish]

Finally got Fife done, quite a few tiles with no paths, never mind roads, but good practice for beyond!

fife

Tiles 4534, Cluster 1706, square 20x20.   Next targets
1) to increase the square.
2) Cluster Coast to Coast
3) Cluster to Berwick

[Pingu]

 

[D.A.L.E.]

Finally got Fife done, quite a few tiles with no paths, never mind roads, but good practice for beyond!

fife

Tiles 4534, Cluster 1706, square 20x20.   Next targets
1) to increase the square.
2) Cluster Coast to Coast
3) Cluster to Berwick

How did you manage to get your cluster over the Queensferry crossing? I'm working my Edinburgh/East Lothian cluster east and down for now, but thinking for the future. Dean went the long way via Kincardine, but that's miles away.

[paddyirish]

How did you manage to get your cluster over the Queensferry crossing? I'm working my Edinburgh/East Lothian cluster east and down for now, but thinking for the future. Dean went the long way via Kincardine, but that's miles away.

Paddleboard.  Hoping to use it to get the whole of the Inner Forth.  But am very much a fair weather paddler, so will need to wait for a perfect day.  There are a few muddy tiles accessible on foot at very low tides in the vicinity of the bridges. 

But Kincardine is doable and I had done that first before getting across the QC.  The paddleboard also enabled me to do Loch Leven which means I could up my max square a lot.

[CarlF]

Looks like you've had the board out on the inner Tay around Errol as well? That's what's blocking the South-East corner of my meagre square. Impressive effort!

[D.A.L.E.]

How did you manage to get your cluster over the Queensferry crossing? I'm working my Edinburgh/East Lothian cluster east and down for now, but thinking for the future. Dean went the long way via Kincardine, but that's miles away.

Paddleboard.  Hoping to use it to get the whole of the Inner Forth.  But am very much a fair weather paddler, so will need to wait for a perfect day.  There are a few muddy tiles accessible on foot at very low tides in the vicinity of the bridges. 

But Kincardine is doable and I had done that first before getting across the QC.  The paddleboard also enabled me to do Loch Leven which means I could up my max square a lot.

Ah, gotcha. I’ve got a few paddle board squares and I know a couple of people who kayak in the Forth, might have to go do that then

[D.A.L.E.]

Did you take your phone out of your pocket with just one hand just to get that picture? Can see a few potential perils in that manoeuvre!

Got to get that content.

[Peat]

Topp Tiling, comrades.

[paddyirish]

Looks like you've had the board out on the inner Tay around Errol as well? That's what's blocking the South-East corner of my meagre square. Impressive effort!

No, everything there is accessed by land only.   I'm not sure about the Tay by board - bigger flow, fewer access points, a lot of mud... There is one tile I have my eye on near Errol which I should be able to access at Low tide.  If I can get that it adds two tiles to the eastern boundary of what will be my max square.

[CarlF]

Looks like you've had the board out on the inner Tay around Errol as well? That's what's blocking the South-East corner of my meagre square. Impressive effort!

No, everything there is accessed by land only.   I'm not sure about the Tay by board - bigger flow, fewer access points, a lot of mud... There is one tile I have my eye on near Errol which I should be able to access at Low tide.  If I can get that it adds two tiles to the eastern boundary of what will be my max square.

Ah, I can see that now on a bigger screen. Those reed beds make it hard to tell what's land and what isn't on the satellite view. There's a few tiles along there that look like they might just be possible by getting your feet wet but I've not been right down to the shore to investigate. Will be interested to hear if you manage it.

[smileydave]

25 new squares by commuting back from London to Bedfordshire last night. Some of them "new" because they're from the pre-GPS North London stamping ground.
(no image, cos I'm computer stupid)

[D.A.L.E.]

25 new squares by commuting back from London to Bedfordshire last night. Some of them "new" because they're from the pre-GPS North London stamping ground.
(no image, cos I'm computer stupid)

I’ve been adding in a few pre-GPS rides recently, tours and such. I like being able to see them all on a map. I know it’s not the game, but I’m unlikely to ever be bothering the leaderboards, so I’m ok with that.

[Revolution9]

124 new tiles on Saturday's Stumped an Dented 200

Now up to 11392
Cluster remains at 848
Max square remains at 18x18

[quilkin]

Spent the last two weeks in April extending my cluster up to beyond Shrewsbury . It was only Land's End to Bristol before.

Next project is to get a bigger square in Devon than my current 27x27 square which is mostly in Cornwall, and can't be extended (on land)

[Solocle]

I have plans to venture to the damp side. I figure this should be transportable by bike:


An obvious target is crosssing the Severn, should just be a reasonable paddle downstream when the tides are favourable.

[SoreTween]

Good luck. I'm hemmed in by several squares up the estuary.  I'd like to get them all down to the 2nd bridge but I'm not certain I'm brave enough, search for sea kayaking and there's plenty about with a notable lack of it in the lower reaches of the Severn.

When are you planning to do this?  Schedule conflicts permitting happy to head down with a pair of binoculars & a mobile phone!

[Solocle]

Good luck. I'm hemmed in by several squares up the estuary.  I'd like to get them all down to the 2nd bridge but I'm not certain I'm brave enough, search for sea kayaking and there's plenty about with a notable lack of it in the lower reaches of the Severn.

When are you planning to do this?  Schedule conflicts permitting happy to head down with a pair of binoculars & a mobile phone!

I think that's something I'd work up to, as someone who has only taken to the water a couple of times. I'm pretty sure I'll be setting the groundwork on either side of the estuary before the big day, but I'm not much inclined to go up as far as Sharpness to cross a cluster over.

Fortunately, I live somehwere where it'll be easy to get a fair old bit of practice.

[SoreTween]

but I'm not much inclined to go up as far as Sharpness to cross a cluster over.

You can 'cross' the Severn a couple of rows south of sharpness:

The problem squares shown above North to South are

• Two squares East of Etloe:  the only land in that square is right up against the fence of Slimbridge.  Requires extreme trespass and not giving a sh1t about disturbing the birds which do not understand the concept of a fence so will be outside Slimbridge just as much as inside.  A few bellends have that square that way.  A vigorous paddle along the West shore from Salmon Putchers shortly before high tide might get it safe-ishly.
• Shepperdine Sands.  There's rocks there visible at low tide East side (use the satellite view on VV) and even some kind of light out on them. However, there's a good yardage of mud/sand between the bank & the rocks even at the narrowest point & low tide, I was there to check last week , see the tick right to the shore in the Shepperdine square.  Another square for bellends only, the rescue teams have better things to do. A rapid paddle out & back from Plusterwine?  Maybe.
• Beacon Sand Not hard to figure out who owns that patch of shore.  Knock & ask permission or be a bellend.  As you can see I've done neither.
• East of Beacon Sand, Narwood Rocks and several more obvious ones south of the above screenshot - full on aquatic only.

There is one square on the West bank further South with zero visits on the VV heatmap that can be obtained perfectly legally and safely.  Useless as the river is too wide to 'cross' that far south.

[Rod Marton]

Rather you than me when it comes to canoeing on the Severn Estuary. I'm sure it's been done, but as a novice kayaker I certainly wouldn't. There are some vicious tidal currents, and I suspect your chances of ending up where you want to be a quite low and where you don't want to be quite high.

Concerning the Slimbridge Swamp tile: it has been done by at least one person but I suspect that this was some time ago. Google maps shows an inviting track at Purton leading in the right direction: nowadays this has a locked gate with barbed wire over it. The same for the track from the Slimbridge side. On land, this leaves access from the canal: I suppose this could be done but would involve fording drainage ditches and forcing your way through hedges. On water a quick paddle from Purton at slack water may be possible, but as I said above: rather you than me.

[Solocle]

but I'm not much inclined to go up as far as Sharpness to cross a cluster over.

You can 'cross' the Severn a couple of rows south of sharpness:

The problem squares shown above North to South are

• Two squares East of Etloe:  the only land in that square is right up against the fence of Slimbridge.  Requires extreme trespass and not giving a sh1t about disturbing the birds which do not understand the concept of a fence so will be outside Slimbridge just as much as inside.  A few bellends have that square that way.  A vigorous paddle along the West shore from Salmon Putchers shortly before high tide might get it safe-ishly.
• Shepperdine Sands.  There's rocks there visible at low tide East side (use the satellite view on VV) and even some kind of light out on them. However, there's a good yardage of mud/sand between the bank & the rocks even at the narrowest point & low tide, I was there to check last week , see the tick right to the shore in the Shepperdine square.  Another square for bellends only, the rescue teams have better things to do. A rapid paddle out & back from Plusterwine?  Maybe.
• Beacon Sand Not hard to figure out who owns that patch of shore.  Knock & ask permission or be a bellend.  As you can see I've done neither.
• East of Beacon Sand, Narwood Rocks and several more obvious ones south of the above screenshot - full on aquatic only.

There is one square on the West bank further South with zero visits on the VV heatmap that can be obtained perfectly legally and safely.  Useless as the river is too wide to 'cross' that far south.

The Sharpness route was indeed my original plan for making a crossing, and certainly are still an option. However, the logistics of getting a cluster up that far on both sides make it a bit of a faff. Maybe less of a faff than sorting out somewhere to park the bike, boat downstream, and then get back to the bike, but maybe not.

There's also the consideration that Southampton Water and Portsmouth harbour may become accessible - opening up a couple of "impossible" tiles like Fawley.

[smileydave]

I've added a few of these myself, but only the ones where I can remember the route. I've got one Dunwich Dynamo on there, but not the second one where we went off route and picked up some more squares...
Fortunately I'll pick most of the north london ones eventually anyway as I've still got to get home somehow. Just need to get my speed back up so I can get home before it gets too late

25 new squares by commuting back from London to Bedfordshire last night. Some of them "new" because they're from the pre-GPS North London stamping ground.
(no image, cos I'm computer stupid)

I’ve been adding in a few pre-GPS rides recently, tours and such. I like being able to see them all on a map. I know it’s not the game, but I’m unlikely to ever be bothering the leaderboards, so I’m ok with that.